Gorgeous Garlic and White Bean Stew with Gremolata
The sun has begun to set on this year's summer season, the cold weather and darker nights are starting to draw in and for me, this means that it's time for soups, stews, roast dinners and proper puddings on the menu! This delicious Italian stew is jam-packed full of flavour and while it's truly warming and comforting, the fresh, zingy gremolata really lightens up the whole dish making it ideal for September. I like to serve this with hunks of crusty bread drizzled with good quality olive oil - and a glass of crisp white wine if you're feeling extravagant!
Gorgeous Garlic and White Bean Summer Stew with Gremolata
Serves 4
20 garlic cloves (about 2 bulbs), unpeeled
300ml boiling water
25g salted butter
drizzle of olive oil
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
2 fresh thyme sprigs
200ml dry white wine
400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
400g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
2 fresh bay leaves
250g fresh vegetable stock
75g baby spinach
3 tbsp crème fraîche
For the gremolata:
2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, crushed
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
Put the garlic cloves in a medium bowl with their papery skins still on. Pour over the boiling water and leave for 5 minutes. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon, reserving the water for later, then, as soon as the garlic is cool enough to handle, remove the skins and cut each clove in half lengthways.
Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat along with the olive oil. Add the garlic, celery and thyme and cook gently for 3-4 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture colour. Pour over the wine and increase the heat, allowing the liquid to bubble and reduce by half.
Add the beans, bay leaves, stock and reserved garlic water to the pan and stir. Reduce the heat to low and leave the stew to bubble gently for 30 minutes or until thickened and reduced. Use a potato masher to gently mash some of the mixture, making the stew a little thicker.
Meanwhile make the gremolata by combining the chopped parsley, crushed garlic and lemon zest and juice in a small bowl.
Stir the spinach through the stew and allow the leaves to wilt. Remove the stew from the heat, stir through the crème fraîche and season well. Serve in warmed bowls with the gremolata spooned generously over the top.
Gorgeous Garlic and White Bean Summer Stew with Gremolata
Serves 4
20 garlic cloves (about 2 bulbs), unpeeled
300ml boiling water
25g salted butter
drizzle of olive oil
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
2 fresh thyme sprigs
200ml dry white wine
400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
400g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
2 fresh bay leaves
250g fresh vegetable stock
75g baby spinach
3 tbsp crème fraîche
For the gremolata:
2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, crushed
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
Put the garlic cloves in a medium bowl with their papery skins still on. Pour over the boiling water and leave for 5 minutes. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon, reserving the water for later, then, as soon as the garlic is cool enough to handle, remove the skins and cut each clove in half lengthways.
Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat along with the olive oil. Add the garlic, celery and thyme and cook gently for 3-4 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture colour. Pour over the wine and increase the heat, allowing the liquid to bubble and reduce by half.
Add the beans, bay leaves, stock and reserved garlic water to the pan and stir. Reduce the heat to low and leave the stew to bubble gently for 30 minutes or until thickened and reduced. Use a potato masher to gently mash some of the mixture, making the stew a little thicker.
Meanwhile make the gremolata by combining the chopped parsley, crushed garlic and lemon zest and juice in a small bowl.
Stir the spinach through the stew and allow the leaves to wilt. Remove the stew from the heat, stir through the crème fraîche and season well. Serve in warmed bowls with the gremolata spooned generously over the top.
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